A quantitative analysis of socioeconomic position and the occurrence of violence in South Africa
Violence is the second leading cause of premature death and one of the leading causes of morbidity in South Africa (Bradshaw et aI., 2003). Unlike many public health problems, the causes of violence are predominantly socioeconomic (rather than biological) in nature. The intersection between violence and varying measures of socioeconomic position is one that deserves specific attention in South Africa due to high levels of violence in the country, the social nature of violence, and the high degree of socioeconomic inequities existing in the country. The aim of this dissertation is to identify risk factors for violence and the degree to which socioeconomic position (operationalised as employment, education and household wealth) plays a role in determining rates of violence within South Africa.
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Department of Public Health and Family Medicine